By Joan F. Simoneau, Community Reporter
Marlborough – Mayor Arthur Vigeant is asking the City Council to approve a tax-break agreement requested by OYO Sportstoys, Inc., which will allow moving its current operations and corporate headquarters from Acton to Marlborough and expand into a minimum of 65,000 square feet at 111 Locke Drive.
“This will result in 195 new jobs in the Marlborough and an approximate $8 million dollar investment in the existing site through combined soft, real property and personal property costs,” said the mayor in his communication to the council presented at the Oct. 5 meeting.
OYO Sportstoys is a manufacturing company, founded in 2011, that produces mini figure toys that resemble star athletes and their corresponding playing fields. The company currently has agreements with Major League Baseball, the National Football League, and the National Hockey League along with their players associations to produce toys featuring their star players.
“Marlborough’s commercial activity has rebounded much quicker than the rest of the Route 495 belt and OYO Sportstoys is another example of a company choosing to invest in Marlborough,” said the mayor. “In this instance, the company is committing $8 million dollars over a 10 year period to renovate the facility. Beyond bringing 195 new jobs to the city, the project also figures to add an additional $462,626 of new tax dollars to Marlborough over the course of the agreement.
“OYO Sportstoys chose Marlborough due to our access to a well-educated workforce with a high degree of knowledge within the advanced manufacturing sector and our transportation access. It is an affirmation of Marlborough and a credit to you that we are able to attract another successful job creator,” he added.
Earlier this year the City Council granted a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) agreement with Hologic, a major developer, manufacturer and supplier of diagnostic equipment, surgical products, and medical imaging systems. The action allowed Hologic to move its Bedford operations to Marlborough, adding 150 employees to its workforce already in the city – at 250 Campus Drive and Simarano Drive.
In August, the council approved a TIF agreement with LFB Corporation, a leading pharmaceutical company, for the construction of a new 65,000-square-foot facility on Crowley Drive.
The OYO Sportstoys’ request was referred to the Finance Committee for study and recommendation to the full council.
